


Chess and Sacrifices

by willobert



Category: The Royals (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, F/M, go on and read this, if you want to break your heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-04-13 18:30:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14118348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/willobert/pseuds/willobert
Summary: Robert knew he was playing with fire when he decided to pursue Kathryn once again.





	Chess and Sacrifices

**Author's Note:**

> I am truly sorry about how sad this was… I was in a bad mood today and this whole Kathryn thing has been making me curious since days. So i decided to write this. Hopefully in the show, things won’t go this badly! Enjoy!

Chess.

It meant seeing ten steps ahead. It meant that you did not act carelessy, without thinking your actions thoroughly.

Or their costs.

Robert looked at Kathryn. She was standing right in front of him, a little unsure. Her blonde curls resting on her shoulders…

He knew she didn’t understand. He doubted she ever did. When Liam brought her to family dinner, after all this, that one bulb in his head lit up suddenly. He was done with both of them, however if Liam wanted to dance like this, who was Robert to say no?

So he planned and he acted. He was going to make sure Liam couldn’t use Kathryn against him in any way, and during this process maybe, just maybe, he was going to learn some things about his dear brother.

Things that he would only share with Kathryn. With someone he loves, he trusts.

Unlike his brother…

“You said you wanted to see me again.” Kathryn whispered, taking Robert’s minds off things. “Here i am.”

Robert knew that, standing here, with doors open was wrong. Anyone could come in yet he was determined to keep his distance from her, at least when they had the risk being seen.

“I did.” He said, getting closer to her. Their bodies still stood a few inches apart as Robert leaned close to whisper.

“I can’t get you out of my mind, Kathryn. I am sorry about things i said.”

Kathryn looked up to him with hopeful blue eyes and Robert knew, in exactly that moment, he had won this battle.

“I was jealous and angry,” he continued. “I should have never said these words. But when i found out that you have been seeing my brother… And you never told me a word about it.”

“I wanted to.” Kathryn couldn’t stand it any longer. “I wanted to tell you, Robert. I just wasn’t sure how.”

Robert tried to look as sympathetic as he can.

“Give us another chance, K. I miss you.”

Kathryn looked at his eyes, trying to understand if he was honest. That almost made Robert smile, as if Kathryn, out of everyone, could see Robert’s soul.

Right…

“I’ll think about it.” She whispered. Robert seemed relieved. Because he knew what the answer in the end would be. He gave her a short nod and walked away.

A few hours later, Robert took off his jacket as someone knocked on the door. His guest opened the door as Robert turned around.

Kathryn.

She seemed unsure of her decision, yet she still boldly walked into the room. She did not close the door behind her, as she knew they were only going to talk.

Robert doubted the girl was stupid enough to assume he would take her to his bed in the palace. Hell, bedding her was never a part of the plan, yet Kathryn didn’t need to know that. It was best that she assumed Robert was fully courting her, yet even with that mindset it would be silly of her to assume they would sleep together, here.

In this palace. Where Liam is just a few corridors away and Robert’s fiancee…

Robert immediately stopped his train of thoughts. He was NOT going to think about her.

“I am glad you came,” Robert smiled. Whatever he would do, he was not going to think of Willow.

That was one thing that made this plan seem bad, made Robert feel this awful feeling in his stomach. Yet what Willow didn’t know, couldn’t hurt her.

It was not real, anyway. This was just part of the plan. She did not need to know.

She would be his queen in a few weeks, and Robert had every intention of treating her well. However, what must be done was obvious and he always trusted his actions.

Even if they can be cruel at times.

***

Willow took a deep breath and leaned against the wall. That horrible feeling corrupted her chest and she was not sure what to do.

Would she walk in? Would she leave them be? Would she wait and then ask what the hell was going on?

The first time she saw him with Kathryn tonight, she tried not to react. She wasn’t proud of eavesdropping however when she heard Robert’s words, she couldn’t help but listen.

“I can’t get you out of my mind.” He said.

Willow knew words were powerful things however she never imagined they would hurt this bad. She played with the ring on her finger, listening to their small talk. She wasn’t sure what hurt the most.

Robert’s betrayal? Or the thought of him missing her?

Willow tried to calm down. After that talk, all night she watched Kathryn like a hawk. So a few hours later, when woman tried to move discreetly, Willow knew she had to follow her.

When she saw her enter Robert’s room… She could feel the world falling apart in front of her. Yet another Henstridge brother had chosen Kathryn over her, once again. Only this time it hurt much more than the last, because this time she was actually in love.

They were still talking about unimportant stuff yet Willow couldn’t help but wonder what were they going to do?

Were they only going to talk? Or Robert….

Willow shook her head, trying not to think about it. He wouldn’t, would he? Sleeping with Kathryn when Willow is in the palace would be horrible.

Willow hid and waited, listening their conversation. She knew if she walked in right now, she would interrupt them.

When Kathryn left the room, Willow stood still exactly where she was. The fact that nothing physical happened between them comforted her a little. Yet it did not lessen the pain.

Willow warned herself to be brave and she stepped outside of where she was hiding. As she took steps towards the door, she held her head high.

Robert must have thought Kathryn came back, as his cheerful expression greeted her. However the second he realized it was Willow standing in front of him, he frowned.

He was not happy.

“Good,” Willow thought. Because she herself was anything but happy.

“Willow,” he started talking, seeming to calculate things. “I did not hear you come in.”

She could see in these green eyes that he was actually nervous, although he tried very hard to seem the opposite.

“Would you like to explain?” Willow asked, her voice as cold and graceful as a queen.

Robert’s face fell.

“Willow… Whatever you think has happened-”

“So you are saying you are not pursuing Kathryn?” Willow accused. Her facial expression was bold, and she spoke to Robert like he had never heard her talk before.

She wasn’t afraid of him.

“That you don’t want her back?” Willow said sharply. Robert opened his mouth, trying to form words.

It was obvious she heard them. As worry rushed to Robert, he tried to find a way to explain all this. As Willow looked at him, expecting an explanation, he tried to find the right words. How could he tell her his plan was to use Kathryn, so he could have advantage against Liam? Or that he had no interest in her and this was just a piece of a much bigger puzzle?

A puzzle that reeked of ambition. He knew she couldn’t understand. Willow was kind. She didn’t care about ambitions and she did not have to be ready against everyone in case they attacked her.

“I see…” Willow said, looking disappointed. Robert couldn’t help but feel like he had let her down, and his heart stopped beating for a second.

“Willow.” He once again called her name, taking a step towards her. Willow took a step back as quick and it was like a knife to the chest.

“I will see myself out.” She whispered, not looking at him. It took her a second to take off her ring and place it quietly on the table next to her.

She was still graceful and kind as before, even when she was hurt. Robert couldn’t help but be impressed once more.

She did not say anything, yet she didn’t need to. As she walked away, Robert knew he lost her and there was no way in hell that he could convince her to be with him again.

Robert gulped, as he looked at the ring shining brightly on the table. Chess meant strategy. If you wanted to win, you had to take risks.

As his gut screamed at him, telling him he was wrong for this, and he had lost something way more precious than what he would gain by this plan… Robert tried to ignore it.

That is why that night, he did not sleep even for a second. And when the morning came and his mother told him Willow wanted to take some time off, he hadn’t been surprised.

And as he watched Willow leaving from his window… He tried to convince himself that he did the right thing.

He was never supposed to care for her this much. She was a great candidate to be a queen, that is all. And crown has always meant the world to him.

Chess meant risks, his father taught him that. And sometimes, in order to win, you would sacrifice the queen.

As Willow got in the taxi and left the palace, Robert tried to tell himself that this plan only had cost him a great queen.

And not the love of his miserable life.


End file.
